Marcelo Bielsa knew his stuff when it came to attacking football at Leeds.
The Argentine oversaw 274 goals from his side across 170 games in charge of Leeds, memorably helping Patrick Bamford net 17 Premier League goals in the 2020/21 campaign – a sign of his excellent coaching skills.
Therefore, it should excite Leeds fans to hear that Marcelo Bielsa has already given his seal of approval to Raheem Sterling – a target for the 49ers ahead of the winter transfer window.
What Marcelo Bielsa has said about Raheem Sterling as Leeds United plot move
It was Sportsboom who claimed that Leeds want to sign Sterling in January as Enzo Maresca continues to exile the England international at Chelsea.
Which position do Leeds United need to strengthen most in January?
Should a move to Elland Road materialise for the man born in Jamaica, Bielsa, who confused Kemar Roofe, would presumably be pleased given his comments on the 30-year-old back in October 2020.
Ahead of a clash against Manchester City, the Argentine highlighted Sterling as a dangerous presence, with the official Leeds United website quoting him as saying: “(Sergio) Aguero is a good player, always helpful for a team. I would say the same thing about (Gabriel) Jesus and the same thing about Raheem Sterling.
“I think that Sterling is a great attacker, playing out wide or through the middle, he’s a goalscorer.”
MORE LEEDS UNITED STORIES
The Chelsea outcast certainly is a goalscorer, one who can boast 123 goals in 396 Premier League appearances across spells at Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea.
Leeds United might have problems when it comes to paying Raheem Sterling’s salary
Sterling currently earns £300,000-a-week, and while Sportsboom claim Chelsea are willing to contribute more than half of this salary to help him find a new club, even £150,000-a-week could prove problematic for Leeds.
Robbie Evans has already revealed that Leeds are at their limit when it comes to Profit & Sustainability Rules (PSR) – and unfortunately wages are included in that along with transfer fees.
Robbie Evans on Leeds United’s PSR position:
“This summer, we spent everything we could. Unequivocally, we are maxing PSR out this season. If we had gone on to other targets [on deadline day], the consequences would have been seen in the current roster. More key players from last season would have had to go.”
A sale could open the door to Sterling joining on loan – Leeds are willing to sell Wilfried Gnonto to create some PSR breathing room – but unless a departure happens, this could be a difficult deal to pull off.